Hospital builders failed on safety’

HOSPITALS could be exposing patients to the same fire risks that destroyed Grenfell Tower, a whistleblower has claimed.

The senior NHS insider said finance deals between building firms and hospitals has led to some companies “playing pirate with the public purse” by cutting corners on Private Finance Initiative deals.

PFI schemes were launched under John Major’s Tory government and involve private firms funding, building and maintaining public sites for the state.

Several hospitals across the UK are now locked in costly disputes over fire safety, many of which were built under PFI contracts, a Sunday People probe has found.

And fire chiefs have identified hazards including safety doors, ceiling tiles and cladding.

Fireproofing

before there is a serious incident and people are killed.”

Our investigation has found a raft of disputes between hospitals and multi-million pound finance companies including:

How bosses at Peterborough City Hospital were ordered to rectify failings after fire chiefs said safeguards “were not as robust as those specified in original plans”.

Officials in charge of University Hospital Coventry, built 11 years ago at a cost of £380million, were left with a £50million bill to fix fire safety flaws.

Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary puts patients at “intolerable risk” due to safety failings – leaving a repair bill estimated at £14million.

Health chiefs at Hereford County